Girl Talk
by jessnoland
Summary: Ginny enlightens Hermione on a few things as she helps Hermione get ready for a date.


**Girl Talk**

"Merlin Mione, calm down! It's just a date!" Ginny laughed at her best friend. Ginny was perched on the counter in Hermione's spacious bathroom. She looked up from her fingernails that she was painting the muggle way, she loved doing things the muggle way with Hermione, being raised around magic she loved the novelty of it.

"It's not just a date, Gin. It's a first date," Hermione answered. She had sat on the edge of the the claw foot bathtub, head resting between her knees, focusing on her breathing.

"I mean, kind of, but you've known him for years," Ginny said as she pointed her wand at her fingernails, muggle novelty or not, she did not have the patience to actually wait on them to dry.

"That's completely different, and you know it."

"Alright, I'm going to let you in on a closely guarded secret that basically everyone in the wizarding world knows but you apparently. Fred has had it bad for you, for years, and I mean years, like since he was fourteen years old." Ginny hopped off the counter and crouched down to be eye level.

"You've gone mental," Hermione rolled her eyes. "Are-are you serious?"

"Yes, love. He's been completely mad for you forever. Everyone knows, Mums constantly nagging about him being a coward. Haven't you noticed all the times she's pushed you two together? Always making sure you two are sitting next to each other at weekly suppers? I swear, as bloody brilliant as you are, you sure are slow sometimes."

"Well, what changed? Why has he asked me out now?"

"Oh, I don't know, perhaps something about a near death experience? He did nearly die during the battle remember? I reckon he decided to just go for it."

"Oh. That makes sense I suppose," Hermione muttered, lost in thought.

"We all know that you're in love with him as well, by the way," Ginny said, standing up. She turned and began looking through all the beauty products Hermione had laid out on the counter.

"What? I'm not in love with Fred." Hermione stated, a bit too forcefully.

"Right," Ginny rolled her eyes. "I seem to remember catching you drooling all over yourself more than once at meal times in school, eyes glued to my obnoxious brother."

"He's very handsome, no one can deny that," Hermione huffed. "And I've never actually drooled."

"Oh come off it, I know you better than anyone, except maybe Harry. I definitely know more about trying to hide a crush," Ginny looked straight in Hermione's eyes, daring her to argue.

"Okay, fine… I admit to having a crush on him. Yes, for years, but that's a far cry from being in love with him."

"Again, I'm not sure who you're trying to fool, Mione, me or you, but you've never in your entire life done anything halfway. From the moment you could tell him and George apart, which is a feat all by itself, you were mad for Fred."

"I learned to tell them apart because I can't stand to not know something," Hermione laughed. "Swotty little know it all remember. Besides it's actually quite easy once you spot the tells."

"What tells? Besides George's missing ear."

"Well, first of all Fred is slightly taller, which only helps when they are standing next to each other, Fred's voice is also a tad higher and his eyes are a slightly darker blue. The biggest difference I've found however is in personality, Fred is more bold, almost always the first to speak when they do that verbal ping pong thing, he's louder than George. He's quicker to anger, but also forgiveness. He is more reckless, where George likes to know all the variables beforehand."

"You've obviously put no thought into this whatsoever," Ginny deadpanned.

"I'm observant," Hermione stuck her tongue out childishly, earning a chuckle from Ginny.

"What color are Bill's eyes?"

"That's hardly fair, I've spent much more time with Fred. Besides I told you, I set out to find a way to tell him and George apart."

"Of course, yes, you're absolutely right," Ginny laughed lightly.

"Since he was fourteen? That would be my first year," Hermione mused, changing the subject.

"He wrote Mum about the crazy haired muggle born who saved Ron's life from a troll, said you were brilliant. For him to write about you, especially to Mum was a big deal."

"Actually, it was the other way around. Harry and Ron saved me," Hermione frowned slightly.

"I guess Ron thought differently," Ginny said simply. "Said he could never had made it out of there without you."

"Interesting," Hermione muttered, mostly to herself.

"Anyway, that was the year he started paying attention, then the next year you saved my life, thanks again for that by the way. " Ginny said as she sat Hermione at the vanity.

"Harry saved your life, Gin." Hermione replied looking into the mirror at Ginny.

"Yes, Harry is quite the hero isn't he," she smiled and winked. "But if it hadn't been for you giving him the information he needed the basilisk would likely have killed him. Fred was quite upset when you were petrified, don't know if you knew that."

"That was also the year Fred nearly beat Malfoy up the muggle way when he called me a mudblood." Hermione absently started rubbing her forearm.

"Bloody prat," Ginny said, disgust evident in her voice. "Anyway, on with our story, when we all stayed together in Diagon Alley, he almost asked you out then, for ice cream or something, mum said no though, it was too dangerous with Sirius on the loose. I don't know how many time he tried to ask you to Hogsmeade that year as well, but he said he could never get you alone to ask. Bloody coward."

"Really? I guess I can see that," Hermione said, thinking back to her third year. She had been distracted that year, taking all the available classes with her time turner, then worrying about Sirius coming to kill Harry. "He was the only one to talk to me when I told Professor McGonagall about Harry's broom. The entire Quidditch team was so angry with me, Oliver actually yelled at me."

"Did he really? Git. He is so damn obsessed with that sport, way worse than me. I may just have to knock him around the head next time I see him." Ginny promised, she began brushing Hermione's hair.

"Don't worry about it, I understand why he was upset, and I'm happy that I was only half right about the broom. I caught Fred laying into him afterwards. Told him that just because there was one person with Harry's best interest in mind didn't give him the right to yell at a third year girl." Hermione shook her head as Ginny pulled her hair into a high ponytail.

"Good job, Fred," Ginny smiled. "So, the next year was the tournament. Merlin he was so angry when he read the stories that vile woman was writing about you. Then when mum sent you a howler, he actually yelled at her. It was insane, no one questions Mum, and he wrote her a long letter, telling her he was disappointed in her for believing everything she read. Said she had always taught us to know all the facts before judging people. That's when she realized he was in love with you." Ginny began rubbing potion through Hermione's hair.

"That actually makes sense, it was after that year she always had us pushed together; cleaning Grimmauld, dinners, even when she was preparing for Bill's wedding."

"He was planning on asking you to the ball, but Krum asked you first. He had overheard him ask you in the library. He only invited Ang because George was too nervous, but didn't want someone else to ask her," Ginny told her as she placed pretty jeweled pins in her hair. She then turned her attention to the array of makeup on the counter. "Where did you get all this stuff anyway? Save the Yule Ball, I don't think I've ever seen you wear any makeup."

"I may have gone a little overboard at the department store."

"Well, we don't want to do too much to that pretty face. I don't think Fred would recognize you if we did."

"Thank you, Gin," Hermione took a deep breath. "So the next year? What did I do then?"

"You mean before or after you started an illegal group to undermine Umbridge?" Ginny asked, lightly applying makeup.

"Oh, well… that was mostly Harry again. If it weren't for him we never would have learned anything."

"And if it weren't for you, it wouldn't have started at all. Remember when you and Ron were practicing stunning spells? Fred bet on you. He always bets on you in fact," Ginny said as she picked up a big brush as added powder to Hermione's face.

"Okay, I'll admit it makes a bit more sense now. Thank you for telling me all this…. wait why are you telling me all this? And now? Why didn't you say anything before?" Hermione asked.

"Honestly, because Fred asked me not to. He said that when he asked you out he wanted you to say yes because you want to, not because you felt obligated to. I'm telling you now because you've already said yes, but you were going to talk yourself out of it. I've been rooting for you two for years. I know everyone always thought it would be you and Ron, but the two of you never made sense to me, you and Fred do." Ginny answered.

"Hmmm, that was pretty considerate of him, not that I'm surprised really. Fred can be quite thoughtful. I think the timing is right for us now. I'm comfortable with him."

"One last question, love," Ginny asked holding up the brand new eyelash curler Hermione had bought on a whim. "How the hell do you use this? It looks like some sort of muggle torture device."

Hermione just laughed and told her she wasn't far off the mark on that one.


End file.
